


Dinner Date

by lesbianettes



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Double Date, Father-Son Relationship, Insecurity, M/M, Meet the Family, Owen is a good dad, Owen makes risotto, judd is a romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:27:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianettes/pseuds/lesbianettes
Summary: This isn't what TK expected when Owen said he wanted to have dinner with the person he's seeing
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Judd Ryder/Owen Strand
Comments: 4
Kudos: 95





	Dinner Date

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a Jowen stan first and a person second

TK sets the table in companionable silence, at ease for once. It’s okay that his dad is seeing someone, especially because Carlos is there beside him setting glasses of water on the table. No wine and no beer, even though Carlos enjoys both and TK knows his father would love to open a bottle of red for this awkward little “meet-the-family double-date” thing that they’re doing. Sure, it’s nice to know that Owen and Carlos get along, and he’s excited for the warm risotto and tender meat, but there’s a part of him that worries about his father finding someone new. What if they hate him, like his dad’s most recent ex-girlfriend from New York? Or worse, like him too much, like his father’s second wife?

“Breathe,” Carlos reminds him, wrapping an arm around him gently and kissing his temple. It’s something small. But it helps. “You’re okay. I’m sure his new girlfriend will love you.”

“That’s not reassuring,” he mumbles as Owen looks up at the two of them.

He’s dressed nicer than usual. A button down, dark jeans. He spent almost two hours on his hair. He must really like the girl he’s seeing, and TK swears he’s happy for him. It isn’t that he doesn’t want his father to be happy, he’s just afraid. When it comes to women, he just doesn’t really have good judgement when it comes to pretty faces.

When the doorbell rings, Owen asks TK to get it. He takes Carlos’ hand and brings him forward too, just so he has something to hold onto. If it turns out the girl sucks, he still has Carlos and the 126. With a deep breath, he opens the door.

For about five seconds, TK just stares at Judd. His hair is combed flat, his clothes actually nice, and his arms full. In one hand, a full arranged bouquet with lillies and other small flowers and whatever else goes into those things. In the other, a pink bakery box with a clear window to a chocolate cake, his favorite. It’s too much at once. Judd opens his mouth.

TK slams the door in his face.

“TK-” Carlos starts.

“What the fuck, dad?”

“Open the door please,” Owen sighs. “Don’t make him stand out there.”

It’s Carlos who opens the door and apologizes, takes the cake from Judd to set on the counter while Owen gets a vase, kissing Judd’s cheek as he accepts the flowers. It isn’t right. TK thinks he might be dreaming, or hallucinating, or something. This doesn’t make sense and he’s barely able to breathe until Carlos helps him sit down and hands him water. He even asks if TK needs his inhaler. If only this was something so simple as asthma and not a meltdown because his dad is seeing someone.

And it’s not like Judd is a bad person; he’s kind and loving and a teddy bear, and he would never hurt either of them. If he thinks hard enough, he’s seen the way Judd looks at his father. He’s a good man. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s dating Owen, didn’t tell TK, and decided that just showing up was a good idea. And his dad hid this from him too, because he knows that TK would be upset by it. They conspired to keep this from him.

Owen serves four plates at the table and smiles at the flowers Judd brought. Carlos holds TK’s hand under the table and shoots him this look like he knows he’s desperate to run fast and far, avoid the pain that rushes through him in a reminder of what it’s been like in the past, even if he knows Judd is a good person and he knows his father loves him.

“This is really good, sir, thank you,” Carlos says a couple bites into the meal.

Everyone else is quiet. 

Judd looks at Owen and Owen looks at Carlos and Carlos looks at TK and TK looks at his food, willing it all to disappear so he can pretend this isn’t actually happening. He eventually gets out that he thought Judd was married to Grace, which earns a sharp rebuke from his father and Judd’s shoulders going tense and angry, like when he shoved TK that one time after the grain silo. 

The next attempt at conversation is Carlos again, mentioning that TK has started a little garden in his backyard that they both tend to on their off days. When Judd asks TK what they’re growing, that’s the last straw.

“I’m not hungry,” he announces, even though he’s practically starving and he’s always loved his father’s risotto and his mouth waters at the thought of the cake Judd brought. “I’m going to bed.”

“TK-”

He stands up, still holding Carlos’ hand, and looks at him. Asking if he’s going to come with or stay. This is what he does instead of looking at the hurt on his father’s face or the worry on Judd’s. If he does, it’ll be about them, and he’ll feel too guilty to be angry.

“Tyler, please sit down.”

The use of his first name actually makes him flinch, as well as reinforcing his decision to leave. His father knows better than to call him that, especially now when they’re with someone he’s seeing, someone TK is seeing- it hurts worse than getting shot, and that had felt pretty shit.

“Fuck you,” he says, staring at his father. “And fuck you,” he adds for Judd, before storming off toward his room.

Behind him, Carlos murmurs an apology and his chair scrapes across the hardwood flooring. His footsteps are quick until he catches up. Then they’re slow, like the hands that cup his shoulders to stop him before he can lock himself somewhere private and safe. It isn’t like he’s going to do something stupid, he just can’t deal with this.

“Take a deep breath,” Carlos says to him. His voice is far too calm. “It’s okay. Do you wanna talk about what just happened?”

“I want him out of my house.”

From downstairs, his dad calls again. “TK, can we please talk about this?”

He doesn’t want to push this to the wayside, but he’s also angry, and TK knows he has a tendency to say things he doesn’t mean when he gets angry. He looks to Carlos and knows what his boyfriend thinks he should do, so he reluctantly heads back down the stairs to where they’re waiting. Judd’s eyes are red and a little puffy, and his father’s rubbing his back.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner,” Owen says first. “I didn’t want you to know until we were sure it was serious, but maybe it would have been better to warn you.”

Judd clears his throat and wipes his face briefly. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to- trying to be something I’m not, TK. I love you, kid, and I get that this is weird, but it’s not like I’m movin’ in, or I’m gonna suddenly be your dad.”

Carlos’ face is unreadable. No comfort and no anger, nothing for TK to use to figure out how to navigate this without upsetting him, a response leftover from tiptoeing around Alex all the time. As soon as he realizes that’s what he’s doing, he looks back at the lukewarm plate in front of him. 

“I know this is hard for you, especially because I haven’t dated in a long time. But nothing is going to change, you hear me?”

His dad reaches across the table to squeeze TK’s hand. 

“Nothing is changing. I’m still your dad, and I love you more than anything, and just because I’m seeing someone doesn’t mean that you’re not my priority. If you need time, that’s okay, but I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Judd, alright?”

The best TK can manage is a nod. 

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr @princessbekker


End file.
